O-Level Model Essay: Screen Time (Discursive)
This page helps you plan and write a discursive essay for O-Level continuous writing. You write each part yourself, then compare it with a model.
What you have to do
| Part | Detail |
|---|---|
| Length | 350 to 500 words |
| Choice | 1 of 4 topics: personal recount, descriptive, expository, or a mix |
| Marked on | Content and Organisation, and Language |
| This essay type | Discursive or expository |
Sample question: "Modern technology has done more harm than good to young people." Do you agree?
A discursive essay is not marked on which side you pick. It is marked on how well you balance and develop the argument.
Step 1: write a balanced thesis
Your thesis is 1 sentence that gives your position. The whole essay has to follow it. Avoid a flat "I agree" or "I disagree". Show that you see both sides.
✍️ Your turn
Write a 1-sentence balanced thesis for this question: 'Modern technology has done more harm than good to young people.' Do you agree? Show that the truth lies between the 2 extremes. Hint at the deciding factor you will argue.
Reveal the model answer
"Few would deny that technology has transformed young lives, yet the claim that it has done 'more harm than good' deserves careful examination, for the truth, as is so often the case, lies somewhere in between, the decisive factor being not the technology itself but the manner of its use."
Why it works:
- It is balanced. It admits both the changes and the harm.
- Someone could argue against it.
- It sets up the main argument, that how technology is used matters more than the technology.
Examiners reward a thesis that the essay then follows.
Step 2: develop one side in a body paragraph
Each side needs a real reason and a concrete example. One sentence per side is not enough. Develop both sides in depth.
✍️ Your turn
Write 1 body paragraph of 4 to 6 sentences on the HARMS of technology for young people. Give a clear reason and a concrete example. Open the paragraph with a linking word or phrase.
Reveal the model answer
Those who argue that technology has harmed the young point first to its effect on wellbeing. Endless scrolling and the pressure of social media have been linked to rising anxiety, poor sleep, and a corrosive habit of comparing oneself to carefully curated online lives. There is force to this concern: a teenager who measures her worth in likes is unlikely to find contentment. Moreover, the ease of digital distraction can erode the deep concentration that genuine learning demands.
Why it works:
- It keeps to 1 topic, wellbeing.
- The reason is developed, not just stated.
- It gives a clear example: "measures her worth in likes".
- The word choice is precise and formal, such as "corrosive habit".
Step 3: write the other side
This is where the reader sees your structure. Use a clear linking word to show you are turning to the other side.
✍️ Your turn
Write the paragraph on the BENEFITS of technology. Open with a clear linking word that turns the argument, such as 'However'. Include 1 concrete example, such as remote learning.
Reveal the model answer
However, to focus solely on these harms is to tell only half the story. The same devices that distract can also empower. A student in a remote town can now attend lectures from the world's finest universities; a young person with a niche passion can find a community that understands her. During recent disruptions to schooling, it was precisely this technology that allowed education to continue at all. Used purposefully, the tools of the digital age are extraordinary engines of opportunity.
Why it works:
- "However" shows clearly that the argument is turning.
- It gives a reason and a concrete example, remote learning.
- The tone stays formal and controlled, as in "engines of opportunity".
The full model essay
Reveal the model answer
Few would deny that technology has transformed the lives of young people, often in ways their parents could scarcely have imagined. From instant access to information to friendships that span continents, the digital world offers undeniable benefits. Yet the claim that it has done "more harm than good" deserves careful examination, for the truth, as is so often the case, lies somewhere in between.
Those who argue that technology has harmed the young point first to its effect on wellbeing. Endless scrolling and the pressure of social media have been linked to rising anxiety, poor sleep, and a corrosive habit of comparing oneself to carefully curated online lives. There is force to this concern: a teenager who measures her worth in likes is unlikely to find contentment. Moreover, the ease of digital distraction can erode the deep concentration that genuine learning demands.
However, to focus solely on these harms is to tell only half the story. The same devices that distract can also empower. A student in a remote town can now attend lectures from the world's finest universities; a young person with a niche passion can find a community that understands her. During recent disruptions to schooling, it was precisely this technology that allowed education to continue at all. Used purposefully, the tools of the digital age are extraordinary engines of opportunity.
The decisive factor, then, is not the technology itself but the manner of its use. A hammer may build a house or break a window; the fault, when there is one, lies with the hand that wields it. What young people require is not the removal of technology, which is neither possible nor desirable, but the guidance to use it wisely: to know when to log off, to think critically about what they consume, and to let screens serve their lives rather than rule them.
In conclusion, technology is neither villain nor saviour. It has brought real harms that we would be foolish to ignore, yet its benefits are equally real and, on balance, greater still. The task before us is not to condemn the tool, but to teach the young to master it.
Why the model scores well: Content and Organisation
| What the examiner looks for | Where it is in the essay |
|---|---|
| A clear argument, kept up to the end | The introduction says "the truth… lies somewhere in between". The essay argues exactly that. |
| 1 idea per paragraph, clearly signposted | Harms, then benefits, then the deciding factor, then the conclusion. "However", "The decisive factor, then" and "In conclusion" mark each step. |
| Both sides developed | Each side has reasons and a concrete example: likes and self-worth, and remote learning when schools were disrupted. |
| A conclusion that weighs up | It does not just repeat the introduction. It weighs both sides and gives a judgement. |
Why the model scores well: Language
| What the examiner looks for | Where it is in the essay |
|---|---|
| Formal, precise words | "corrosive habit", "carefully curated online lives", "engines of opportunity" |
| Varied sentence length | The shorter line "It has brought real harms that we would be foolish to ignore" stands out among longer sentences. |
| A comparison with a purpose | The hammer that can "build a house or break a window" makes the main argument clear. |
| Ideas linked together | Linking words and references back, such as "these harms" and "the same devices", connect the paragraphs. |
Plan your thesis first. Then check that every paragraph supports it.
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